ACR Publishes Methodology for Improved Forest Management on Canadian Forestlands

September 23, 2021

LITTLE ROCK, AR,  September 22, 2021 – The American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, has approved a Methodology for the Quantification, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions and Removals from Improved Forest Management (IFM) on Canadian Forestlands.

Similar to the ACR’s published Improved Forest Management Methodology for Quantifying GHG Removals and Emission Reductions through Increased Forest Carbon Sequestration on Non-Federal U.S. Forestlands, the new Methodology provides a rigorous scientific framework for offset project development, registration, and verification of greenhouse gas emission reductions resulting from forest carbon projects on eligible Canadian lands that reduce emissions by exceeding baseline forest management practices. Removals are quantified for increased sequestration through retention of annual forest growth when project activities exceed the baseline. The Methodology is applicable to all Canadian forestlands that are not subject to provincial or federal forest management regulations.

“We are excited to expand ACR’s IFM methodology to a new geography. Improved Forest Management activities offer tremendous potential for sequestering carbon on Canadian forestlands. The ACR Methodology provides an opportunity for Canadian forest landowners to manage for and monetize carbon sequestration as a landscape asset,” said Jessica Orrego, ACR Director of Forestry.

This Methodology was developed by Dr. John A. Kershaw and Yung-Han Hsu, based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, as well as Bluesource LLC., Finite Carbon and ACR, and was based largely on an existing version of ACR’s U.S.-based IFM Methodology originally developed by Finite Carbon and updated by Matt Delaney and David Ford of L&C Carbon and Greg Latta of Oregon State University. The Methodology was approved through ACR’s public stakeholder consultation and scientific peer review process.

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Winrock has long recognized the threat posed by climate change. ACR, founded in 1996 and operated by Winrock, is dedicated to the belief that markets are the most effective tools to tackle climate change. As such, ACR has developed transparent and science-based methodologies to incentivize carbon reductions in agriculture, transportation and other industries. ACR is also a partner in assuring that California’s landmark Cap-and-Trade Program can manage, verify and credit carbon offsets effectively.